ANTONESCU, Teohari. Bucharest (?) 1.9.1866 (?) — Iaşi 11.1.1910. Romanian Historian and Classical Scholar interested in Indology. Son of Petru Antonescu, a small trader. His background and early years are uncertain, some say that he was born in Giargiu in 1867 as the illegitimate son of monk Antonie and Alexandrina Lupiça, a washerwoman. Student of Al. Obolescu at Bucharest, graduated 1889. Further studies in Paris (diplom of É.P.H.É. 1892, with a study on Greek vase painting), Heidelberg and Berlin. Returned in Romania in 1894, he first taught Greek at schools in Bucharest. Member of Junimea. Then Professor of Archaeology at the University of Iaşi. Married 1899 Eugenia Vârgolici, three sons (all died young) and one daughter.

Publications: Diss. on the Chabir cult in Dacia (Cultul Cabirilor în Dacia) in 1889, and other works on Romanian antiquity (e.g. Dacia, patria primitivă a popoarelor ariene. 1897).

– Articles in the periodical Convorbiri Literare on Upanishadic philosophy (“Filozofia Upanişadelor”, 28, 1894) and on Buddhism and the nirvāṇa (“Budismul şi Nirvana”, 37, 1903).

Sources: Dictionar enciclopedic romin 1, Bucureşti 1962; Dicţionarul literaturii Române de la origini pînà la 1900. Bucharest 1979, 45f. (with small photo and references to Romanian sources); S.N. Ionescu, Who was who in 20th century Romania. N.Y. 1994; V. Banateanu, “First Indianists of … Rumania, Indo-Asian Culture 7:3, 1959, 280 & Vi.-Bh. Quart. 27, 1961-62, 248; Wikipedia with photo.